Throughout most of human history, population growth has been slow, limited by the amount of food available. As late as 1800, the entire population of the earth was less than one billion. Only in the last couple of centuries have we seen exponential growth, leading to the current population of seven billion. What were some of the main factors that made this unprecedented growth possible? It is these factors that set the stage for the rise of advertising. For the first time in history, the supply of goods outstripped demand. Explain what happened, and assess how long this growth is likely to continue